The Witch's Last Festival
by Treesh Aradia
Summary: AU Selfer, Selphie Seifer. A glimpse into the past and a look at Quistis' dire situation. NO i have not jumped ship...far from it!
1. prologue

Author: Treesh Aradia

Email: 

Disclaimer:

Characters are not mine. I own nothing but the little plot bunnies gone astray in my lil ol' head. Everything else is Square's etc.

Pairing:

Eventual Selfer/ Selpher/ Selphie-Seifer. You get the picture.

Summary:

Commander Almasy has the daunting task of protecting a Lady and her lady-in-waiting through harsh Trabian winter. AU.

Reviews are necessary for chapter continuation. : p

**The Witch's Last Festival**

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PROLOGUE

The woods of the Trabian forest stretched far and wide and on the outer sides of the dense forest were the Trabian Rivers that started out at the western end of the area before ending in a hundred meters drop off at the eastern tip in what was the 'Great Queen's Fall'.

But the man seated on his mount could not care less if it was called the Great Queen's Fall or if it was Lucifer's Fall-on-his-arse For the Oblivious. As the sections of the river were rarely ever known beforehand until it was too late, and any unlucky adventurer was already halfway sailing through the swift and violent rapids before the waterfall could even be anticipated, death was almost always a given.

On his steed, the man had more immediate concerns than something so far from his stand. In the harsh Trabian Winter, he was more worried about frostbite setting in, perhaps even where he most did not want it. It was true. It could happen - he could attest to it. He had lived through some of the most frightening conditions during the siege of the Shumi Coasts, and he had seen what the snow did to one of his men, Eric of Tear's Point. The poor man's wife had welcomed half a man home when the battle was done.

Looking heavenwards he groaned silently. A storm was coming.

The sky looked as drab as the mission he was undertaking. The heavy, dark clouds were starting to roll in, combining to form a single powerful entity that would cause him and his men a lot of inconvenience. Not just the direct inconveniences of traveling in the rain, or trying to set up a dry camp in the storm. No, those were familiar. Expected. He could deal with them. It was the prospect of the indirect inconveniences involving a certain carriage they were escorting that was making him grit his teeth.

Or more specifically, its passengers. He did not want to imagine the rumpus her _maid_ would cause if her lady were to be caught under the cruel storm. He could only imagine what it would do to her _fair lady's wonderful golden hair_.

Fair young lady Kramer, with eyes that sparkled and demeanor so friendly, she was so beautiful, both inside and out, that Seifer had heard many called her Lady _Joie de Vivre_

However, the young lady in the carriage had seemed rather aloof. Seifer guessed it was because of the exhausting ride and left it at that. He had other concerns. Like the impending storm and the detrimental effects it might have on the Lady.

Or so that cantankerous wench of a maid would say.

Seifer Almasy could hardly believe a lady, royalty no less, could stomach her annoying lady in waiting for so long as she had, without so much as a sigh. Odd.

Gently pulling back the reins of his pure bred stallion, he stopped its gait and dismounted the white steed, patting the beautiful beast with absent admiration for the almost metallic sheen of its gleaming coat.

"We ride no further. We will wait a night for the storm to pass." He turned back to the dirt path ahead, waiting for the men to stop and gather the things they might need to set up camp. He was unaware of the girl who had just stepped out of the halted coach

Walking towards Seifer, the young woman spoke urgently. "Sir, we have to proceed. The plains of Trabia will protect us, I am sure of it! We need to travel further, stopping will only hinder our progress," the petite slip of a girl with verdant eyes urged, right to his face, honesty and something else evident on her face.

Looking at her with distaste, Seifer merely tipped his nose upward even more. He was afraid of this, the maid and her insignificant remarks. Ever since the start of the journey, she had been yapping and yammering, much to Seifer's dismay. He only had himself to blame for thinking her rather good-looking and docile at first, an impression sadly distorted the minute she started talking, and talking. It was pure luck he had managed to ignore her and her little girly yippy yaps for as long as he had. Thank heavens it was directed to her poor Lady.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were in charge of this expedition. But I do know better, and I'm the one the Hand sent to command his soldiers! Now, who sent you? And the head _maid_ doesn't count."

"Why you impertinent horse troll! How dare you speak to me like that! I think you shoul-"

Seifer's bark was anything but kind. "I should what? Listen to a maid?"

The girl stared at him silently, ire in her narrowed eyes. Seifer shook his head, "Now, please move out of my way, you are hindering _my_ progress."

Seifer smirked as he heard her cry of outrage, uncaring as he moved to help his men set up camp.

* * *

Selphie was not amused. Or impressed. In fact, she was stark raving mad.

Who the hell does he think he is?

Apparently, not only was Quistis right, everyone back at King Loire's castle was too. _Sir_ Seifer was a right bastard. A talented killing machine, but a bastard nonetheless. Figuratively speaking at least.

Selphie chided herself for foolishly thinking she could talk sense into the man _without_ being at the receiving end of his acerbic barbs. She should have listened to them. And known better.

Stomping into the carriage, she failed to notice the slight smile Quistis was giving her.

"Not a word, Quis," Selphie said glumly to her tall blonde friend.

"Alright then, I guess an 'I told you so' is out of the question." Quistis tried to cover her laugh with her hand at Selphie's little frown and pout.

"Fine, I get the picture. I should have known better, blah blah blah," Selphie said as she perched herself on the red velvet cushions. "I can't believe how arrogant he is. Did you hear him holler? Did you?!" Selphie demanded furiously.

Quistis nodded. Everyone had probably heard but they were just too kind to comment. It wasn't like Seifer was trying his hardest not to talk loudly. "Well, he would probably treat you better if he knew you were Lord Kramer's daughter."

Selphie shook her head. "He should treat everyone better, and not because they're his equal."

"He does treat the bar maids especially well, if what Helga said was true."

Selphie rolled her eyes at what the kind elderly cook had said about the commander, head falling onto Quistis' shoulder. "That's only because he gets to use _them_ after he uses their pub!"

Both girls laughed at that, before Quistis got serious again.

"Well, he might be right, there is a storm coming. Maybe it's best if we do stop for the night. He is after all, experienced in the great outdoors." Both of them knew the tale of how Seifer had camped in winter terrain with nothing but his battle garb during the month long skirmish just between the Trabian and Shumi Valleys.

"But Quistis, you know why we need to go back. I need to know if my mother is alright," Selphie explained, playing with her hands like a little girl. Which she was in a way, for she was always protected and had rarely been out of both kingdom's confines to really experience life.

Quistis sighed, knowing how upset her friend really was upon receiving news from Lord Kramer of her mother's illness. However she also knew they were too young to be going against a veteran soldier's orders, though they were but a few years younger than Sir Seifer's one and twenty years of age.

Quistis wished she could do something for her troubled friend, but the only solace Selphie's lady in waiting could offer was a shoulder to cry on.

And the pretense that she was the real McCoy should there be any trouble.

* * *

A/N: Like it? Review and tell me. Duh. 


	2. One

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* * *

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**ONE**

The next day, Selphie awoke to the feel of someone nudging her. Irritated, she glared blurrily at the intruder, and found she was not at all surprised to see the sarcastic commander looking down at her, feet still in position.

"It's late. Get up."

I am nice. I will not rise to his bait. Love, peace and happiness.

"Well, what are you staring at? Walk, get proper, go do your errands.... WAKE UP!"

That's it, that's the last straw that breaks this camel's back.

Getting up from her sleeping position on the cold damp ground, shoving her blankets roughly away from herself, she moved to kick the bad tempered man's shin with all the might her petite size could muster.

It earned her a disbelieving look as he repressed the pain from his already grim face.

Selphie squeaked as he brought his full six feet two out from his languid stance, making him seem even more intimidating than before. He brought his face closer and said with quiet anger, "I dare you to try that again."

Selphie shook her head, properly disciplined by his coldness.

Raising his eyebrow he smirked. "Good." With that, he started to walk away.

And felt a pebble pelt into his head.

Selphie brought her arm back and waited to see what he would do next, but only saw that he had started to clench his fist for a moment before continuing towards the main group gathered around the tents. Not a word or glare at the wayward girl behind him.

Selphie breathed a sigh of relief and giggled, swaying her arms and skipping back to the tent Quistis had slept the night in.

"Quis!!!" she said as she popped her head into the tent. She startled as she saw that her friend was already awake and dressed.

"Good morning. Would you like me to send breakfast in?" Quistis automatically questioned, so used to her duties that it became second nature for her to ask.

"NO! I should get it. I am after all _your_ lady in waiting. Although I can stand to wait a while so the _man_ can finish his breakfast." Selphie said, rolling her eyes.

Quistis gave her the usual "what have you done now" look, to which Selphie merely shrugged, feigned wide-eyed innocence apparent on her face.

"Honestly Selphie, I can't understand why you don't see eye to eye. It is a relatively short journey, the least you could do is bear with the commander."

Selphie shook her head in disbelief. "I am bearing it to the best of my abilities. But Quis he's not an easy man to talk to. Haven't you tried?" Selphie asked, perplexed.

Quistis' guilty look told her that she had not. Whether it was because she was afraid they would get caught in their ruse or because whenever _he _was around, Quis would get all red and coy... Selphie was determined to have her friend talk to him.

Then she'll find out just how right I am...and wasn't she the one who told me all those rumors anyway? Selphie pondered.

"Well, as Lord Kramer's daughter, you will have to talk to him eventually. Especially during breakfast...it is not polite if the daughter of a Lord does not show the proper social etiquette she was taught since she was so very young. Right? Duties and things like that... hmm, I wonder who said that," Selphie slyly added, a cunning little smile on her lips.

Quistis sputtered and blabbered to no avail, trying to explain why duty was important, yet irrelevant in her case now. However, Selphie was already pushing her out of the tent and straight towards the bitter man eating his oats and cereal.

"My lord," Selphie greeted him with a false reverence to which Seifer merely raised an eyebrow, "Lord Kramer's daughter wishes to break her fast with you."

Selphie watched as Seifer frowned. She giggled mentally, guessing that it was because he knew that he would then have to refrain from eating quickly in order to make idle conversation with Quistis. He seemed the sort who would ignore them both.

However, watching the scenario now, instead of the brutish treatment he had bestowed on Selphie previously he was actually being civilized. The frown gave way to a dazzling smile and all brute manners he had previously shown gave way to finesse and charm.

"It would be my pleasure." He even managed a slight bow.

Selphie watched with a look of disbelief. What a snake!

Realizing that both Seifer and Quistis were watching her, she realized her mistake. "Oh! Oh, pardon me, I shall go...see to my lady in waiting duties. I shall not disturb you both any further." She curtsied and went off. All the while looking back at the two who were now laughing and standing close to each other.

Wonders never cease. Seifer was being nice.

* * *

A/N: This is a Selfer. Nuf said. Review!!!


	3. Two, two point two

TWO _Seifer's POV_

After breakfast, the group set off for Kramer's castle, which was approximately another four full days ride.

It was a relatively warm morning. Sunlight filtered through the branches of the trees above them, warming their cheeks and defrosting their breaths. **The horses' shoes made depressions on the damp soil as they pranced nervously, snorting and neighing their refusal to travel any further.**

What the hell is wrong with them? Seifer wondered uneasily. He felt uncomfortable as well, sensing that trouble was brewing.

The day seems too perfect, he thought as he stared behind him, his focus on the carriage and its passengers.

As he thought about the lady in the carriage however, he let his thoughts deviate somewhat into what happened during his breakfast with her. Quistis was very attractive, if somewhat guarded. However she did not irritate him so much as other women tended to whenever he was in their company. She was funny and had worldly opinions about all sorts of things.

Seifer smiled as he realized that **was one of the very few real conversations he had ever had with a woman.**

**Usually he tended to **_act _**more than talk where they were concerned.**

**The sudden snapping of twigs around them alerted Seifer to the fact that his company was not alone in the forest. Belatedly, he realized that he should have been paying more attention to his suspicions instead of indulging in fanciful reflection; he was the king's commander for Hyne's sake.**

**Reining his horse in sharply, Seifer turned to his men.**

**"Guard the women. At all costs!" **

From inside the carriage he heard Quistis' lady in waiting question why they had stopped. But he heard no more as a swarm of arrows hissed towards them.

"Mercer!" Seifer shouted as he saw one of his men fall from his horse.

The battle had begun.

With an angry roar, **Seifer drew his sword and spurred his horse. Enemies were charging from all sides and he could feel the wild excitement of battle swell in him. His blood pounded in time with his steed's hooves as he went for the detachment on the left,** swinging Hyperion skillfully as he went for the kill.

The front liners came on foot, with banner colours Seifer could not identify.

**He didn't care. Rising, Hyperion's edge gleamed golden in the sun - for a moment. And then its light was quenched. **

First blood.

Seifer smirked dangerously as he masterfully twisted out of the range of the clumsily aimed sword. He recognized this as a sign of a life hanging dangerously on a thin thread. So thin, it would-

Snap!

And the enemy warrior was motionless, dead on the ground as Seifer pulled out his sword from the chest of his fallen opponent.

The kill was fast, all over in less than a second and Seifer was onto his next.

The scene was bloody as the fight raged on. The clanging of metal on metal, the thuds of fallen bodies, and the wail of a horse whose legs were being slashed from under it…

_Selphie's POV_

The abrupt stop of the coach made Selphie jump a little. "What's happening outside? Why did we stop, again?"

Quistis shrugged, confused herself.

It took a moment before they heard **the change in the air. A whirring noise grew outside their window. So fast, so loud: it was as if the very air itself was vibrating.**

Both girls turned to look at each other. Both knowing what was really happening outside.

Then they heard Seifer. It made Selphie's eyes go round as she heard the distinct white rage in his voice. His men.

Selphie stared at Quistis with a pleading look, one that Quistis responded to with an immediate, "No!"

"We have to! They could be dying outside!"

Quistis raised an eyebrow.

"Well, we still need to help!" Selphie argued.

"Selphie! Please! We can't help we aren't trained soldiers. They are!" Quistis retorted.

Selphie remained silent, a frown marring her face. "I want to."

And with that, Quistis was left alone in the carriage with her belief that they would only be obstructing Seifer's way… However, a second later found Quistis rolling her eyes and leaving the safety zone of the coach to try to catch up with Selphie.

Selphie, I hope you don't have a death wish…

Outside, Selphie found a discarded axe on the ground. Picking it up with great effort, she walked around the coach towards the noises and the fighting men.

She spotted a short man fighting with one of Seifer's men. She winced as the latter fell to the ground, having just suffered a blow to his upper body.

**Selphie stealthily crept up behind the enemy fighter. He **never knew what hit him when the blunt end of the axe fell heavily onto his head. He dropped like a sack of potatoes.

"Thanks," the fallen soldier said as he took the offered hand.

"You're welcome," Selphie said, giggling. One of their enemies was down for the count. And it was by her hand.

**Back on his feet, the man she had saved had no time for pleasantries. His gaze hardened as he scanned the battlefield, and with a nod of acknowledgement for his erstwhile rescuer he raised his pike and rejoined the fray. Moments later and he was weighing in beside one of his comrades who had been struggling to hold his own against a giant of a man, armoured with only the wide expanse of skin across his chest. He looked like a barbarian**

In fact, Selphie thought if it were not for the few enemy soldiers with the red and black colours of their house streaked across their face in an intricate spiral pattern she would have thought they were nomads. Or gypsies.

Selphie looked around, trying to find the axe she left on the ground.

Her search brought her face to face with a tall bulky figure with raven black hair, adorned in multiple braids that fell heavily at the back of his head. **Naked save for an armored breechcloth, the whites of his eyes were startling against the black and red paint of his face and body, the contrast emphasising the threatening colors. **His height added to the intimidation factor as Selphie stared nonplussed, confused as to what she should do.

"Forgot this?" the man asked her with a sneer, the white of his teeth scaring her even more. He approached her, swinging the axe with amazing ease.

Looking behind her at the heated battle, she found that no one was coming to save her.

Or was able to.

"Little one, I am going to have fun killing you, ya know?" the man said as he neared her. Selphie closed her eyes as he raised the axe.

However the blow did not fall.

Opening her eyes, she found that someone had come to her rescue.

Leaping off his steed, Seifer stood like a war god. Selphie squinted slightly as **the sun seemed to center on him, burnishing his hair. The cascading light cast a gold sheen on his smooth skin accentuating his fiery green eyes and sleek muscles as his hand gripped the hilt of his sword.**

Selphie felt her breath catch in her throat. He definitely was a force to be reckoned with.

He stood all fierce and righteous as he assessed his enemy with calculating eyes. His face sported a casual sneer, although Selphie did notice the slight stiffness in his nonchalant gait towards the other man.

"Well, look who's here princess, your knight in dirty armor," the brute in red and black war paint said, trying to be sarcastic. He had turned his back on her the minute he felt a worthy opponent come his way.

Selphie remained silent. Seifer however, had a rejoinder.

"Let's not try talking. Unlike others, I don't let my kills have _any_ last words. I'm not that merciful. However, I will try to make it quick," Seifer said with condescending nonchalance.

Enraged when he finally caught on, the heavy man charged Seifer, Selphie momentarily forgotten.

Selphie felt her breath hitch as metal met metal, the reverberations vibrating through the air. She watched with unblinking eyes as Seifer fought.

Selphie let out a small whoop as Seifer's fluid turn-and-shirk allowed him to sucker punch the larger man when the latter was trying to bring his axe towards Seifer's neck. The man fell, but managed to turn it into a crouching kick at Seifer's abdomen as he regained his footing. Winded, Seifer stumbled back a few steps.

"Seifer!" Selphie cried as she took a few steps toward him.

He allowed himself a quick look at her but reverted his gaze towards his approaching opponent. **The other man was already rushing him again, the impact of his heavy body sending them both to the ground.**

Seifer lost his weapon and the bulkier man seized his chance to use the length of his axe to chokehold him.

**Seifer fought the heavy metallic handle across his throat**.

No go.

"Think you are smarter? Look who's smarter now? Ya see?" the bulky man asked a struggling Seifer.

Seeing that Seifer was turning quite blue around the gills, Selphie did what anyone would do in her situation.

She jumped on the enemy.

"Let him go!" she shrieked, pummeling the man on his back.

**Snarling, he reached behind him, grabbed - and sent the petite girl careening into the ground. She didn't get up.**

However it gave Seifer the perfect opportunity to use his legs to lash out at his enemy's heavy chest. Standing up, Seifer looked down at the other man. His Hyperion aimed at the bulky man's heart.

"To answer you, yes. I am smarter. And more good looking," Seifer said arrogantly as he prepared to make the man **his fourteenth kill of this engagement.**

"You can't kill him," Selphie told him boldly. Killing was not something she was comfortable with, despite the fact that was all she saw around her that afternoon.

The voice reminded him of his reason for taking on _Brutus_ in the first place.

At least she doesn't look like she's got the crap beaten out of her.

"And what pray tell do we do with this offending piece of sh-" The look Selphie was giving him made him hold back on the last word.

Before either could react at all, a cry broke through the battle noise.

TWO point TWO 

"It's Quis!" Selphie said, though they both recognized it at the same time.

Turning around, they both saw Quistis a few yards away, held between two brutes who looked like exact clones of bulky brute number one.

Seifer started towards them, sword already drawn. He was halfway between Selphie and Quistis when another warrior came into the picture, grabbing the petite girl by her middle.

She gasped at the vice-like grip.

Looking up at the face of the man who had snatched her, Selphie stared into a pair of the coldest blue eyes she had ever had the chance of seeing. This man was all lean muscles and hardened planes. Like the commander, except, unlike the fire and spite you could see simmering behind Seifer's eyes, this man was born of ice and detachment.

Selphie's captor had yet to look at her. **He was more interested in watching the oblivious Seifer, still entirely unaware of what had just transpired behind him. **

Selphie remained transfixed by the man holding her hostage, ignorant of the trance-like state she herself was in.

**Like his comrade, the defeated and forgotten 'bulky man' - who had evidently taken the opportunity to take off for parts unknown - his reddish brown hair was braided **and he was painted with the same red-black insignia.

**However, in his free hand, this man bore a golden cranequinn crossbow. It was light, beautiful and deadly looking with gold and enamel dragon forms craved and etched into the sides of the tiller with the crannequin looped around the rear end of the tiller. And each of his index fingers was adorned with **a gold claw-like armor that was decorated with fused plates of metal with horns and strange projections along the metal layer, in the shape of a giant sea snake.

**After another second of remaining unnoticed, Selphie's captor tightened his grasp on his unwilling companion and started towards the enshrouding gloom of the forest behind him. Where, in the shadowy recesses beneath the trees, an enormous creature was hidden. And waiting... **

"Seifer! It's Selphie!" Quistis shouted the warning to Seifer, who was confused at the name.

Who?

Turning, Seifer saw the man and the captive maid.

He strode forward but stopped a second later after he realized his predicament. He could only save one of them. Either Selphie or Quistis.

Not both.

Looking between them, he knew not which to aid.

The decision, however, was taken out of his hands as two of his men came rushing up to fight the two man holding Quistis captive.

"Go, Seifer! You must get her!" Quistis shouted.

Seifer nodded and **took off in a sprint towards the woods in the direction the two had taken**.

"You will be a great asset to me and mine. _My Lady_," the man spoke after entering the denser parts of the forest.

It was then that Selphie awoke from her comatose state. "What? You know? But how?" Selphie asked, perplexed that her and Quistis' scheme was so easily exposed.

The man laughed softly, the cold never leaving his eyes. "I see you. What's _in_ you. Besides, you were easier to capture. **He would never have taken his eyes off you if he knew how valuable you are. Just like your mother**."

The man began tying her to a tree while he took out a satchel from where he had hidden it behind a deliberately marked tree.

Selphie frowned. "You mean you want to take me to your stupid feudal lord? And what exactly have you done to my mother!"

The man shook his head, laughing at her ignorance. "What do they say in your universe? Ignorance is bliss? Well, You won't need to know anything. You won't live that long if what the prophecies say is true."

"I'd beg to differ," the new voice spoke with authority, "I would think the only **one doing any dying here is you**."

"Seifer!" Selphie exclaimed happily, "you sure took your time!"

"Sorry, was caught up in a battle and all." Seifer retorted as both men started to circle each other.

In a split second, they rushed each other and the fight was on.

However neither noticed the low grunting noises from the nearby cave.

Selphie did.

With cautious steps, she went towards the shadowed opening.

Her eyes widened as two large red eyes stared back at her. She could tell it was a big…_thing_. Just as she was about to take another step, a loud horn call tore through the forest.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

BRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

BRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

All movements stilled. The two men on the ground paused in mid motion. Seifer raised his hands to his ears as the penetrating noise grew louder and longer.

Suddenly, Seifer was pushed away as the other man got up swiftly from the ground. "Till next time. I have to go," the man said as he made for the cave, pushing past Selphie as he entered.

A few seconds later, a great creature took to the air, its massive wings spread like that of an eagle, only, it had no feathers and was very VERY much larger than any bird. It had red gold scales and, and…

that was as much as either Selphie or Seifer could see as it took to the sky, widening the distance between them, with the red-black painted man harnessing its direction.

"I might not have you, witch! But I will take your friend as insurance," the man called as his beast flew towards the place where Quistis was last seen.

"Oh no! He's going to take Quistis!" Selphie cried.

"We'll get her. Come on!" **Seizing Selphie's hand, Seifer broke into a run, urgently aware of the need to rescue the endangered girl. **

From where they were, they all knew it was to no avail as **they heard the loud scream of terror that could only belong to one person**.

**Up in the sky, a gigantic beast tore through the heavens with his two passengers, only to vanish into thin air a second later.**


	4. Three

A/N: Wow, I forgot about this. And then I receive the nicest review, and decided, hey why not just post the un-edited version anyway? So here it is, the itty bitty chapter. Tell me what you all think if anyone, aside from Battlecrie, is still reading this! THREE 

"You know it's all your fault right?" Seifer told the girl he now knew as Selphie, finally realizing whom Quistis was referring to during the span of their breakfast together.

"What? Me? I don't think so. I saved _your_ life remember? Large brute that I helped get off you? I know veteran soldiers suffer from memory lapses, but surely you're not that old. Right?

"Besides, if you'd stuck with her and the other two brutes, she'd still be here!" Selphie scoffed at him spitefully, giving him a taste of his own medicine.

Seifer stared at her incredulously.

Is she out of her mind?

"Are you out of your mind! If I didn't come after you, _you'd_ be on that beast right now! And you did not save me! I had it under control." He glared at her, his anger mixed with concern for the girl if the outcome had been different.

Selphie glared back.

"Yeah right. You were as blue as Helga's blueberry muffins!" Selphie muttered, turning away from their staring contest, getting very sick and tired of trading barbs with the idiot.

"Oh please! You just had to leave the coach, after what I said earlier. Which would be to NOT leave it!"

"I was helping!"

"No! You weren't!"

O

O

O

O

They continued sparring all the way back to the coach. By the time they arrived, they were red in the face.

"Sir! Five of the men are injured. **We lost two. Henry...and Mercer**," Nida, one of his lower ranking officers informed Seifer.

He cursed as he heard that their party had dwindled drastically. **The ambush had led to lost lives and lost blood, and Seifer blamed himself for not being privy to it until the arrows were already in the air - until it was already too late**.

"Thank you, Nida. I will inform you of our plan later." Nida nodded and took off, hurrying back to aid their only healer with the injured.

Seifer remained silent, lost in his self-loathing.

"Seifer?" the sprite-like girl called quietly.

He turned towards her, blankly.

"It wasn't your fault. You did what you could to protect us. Your men understood what they were in for. You couldn't possibly have known what the enemy had planned," Selphie told him, **trying to soothe the torrent of self-deprecating thoughts that she guessed were going through his head.**

"Thanks," he told her, **his voice for once clear of the snarky attitude with which he usually addressed her**.

With that, he left her alone as he went to converse with his men.


	5. Three point Two

Ok, so I have had two reviews for the last posting, but wow thanks guys! Anyway, where do u think I am going, Bloodcrie? Just for curiosity sake…I actually forgot where. Yes it sounds silly but all my big plans for it was written on a scant sheet of paper, which I misplaced. So maybe a little reader's input would be helpful: )

firecross anG3L: I will not let you down. I will def try not to at least! Thanks for reading!!!! I love medieval stuff, anyway I am planning to write my next Selfer in the Regency period. Haha, but that's neither here nor there… : )

Onto the fic…

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"We've lost Mercer and Henry today. No more will be lost! I want all the injured taken to the nearest village where they are to be tended to. Tell the lord whose land it is that an unknown enemy ambushed us and we seek the house's allegiance. If he knows what's good for him and his land, he will not retaliate openly.

**"John, I want you to ride back to King Loire and tell him of our situation. Inform him that the Lady is taken." Seifer stopped as he mulled over his failure, then shook himself and continued, "She is taken - but she will be found, and her captors punished."**

"Sir? If I may, it would be nearly impossible for us to get the injured to safety without the other able bodied men to help." Nida spoke, confused.

**Seifer nodded, understanding his concern. "Yes. That's why the rest of the squad will be accompanying you." **Nida was about to object but Seifer carried on, "I will retrieve the lady myself. And bring her and her lady in waiting to Lord Kramer's."

"Sir! That's almost suicide! The enemy knows where we are off to. They would not have held the ambush so strategically if not! What would be your fate if you were to travel alone, with but a lady in waiting? She can't even defend herself!" John of Centra cried.

Seifer was aware of his men's concern for his safety. They had all been through thick and thin together and an undeniable bond had been forged. They were brothers in arms and leaving a man 'behind' was not typical for them.

"I believe that to travel as we have been, so large a company, would attract more unwanted attention. As just the two of us, we could cover more distance, unnoticed." The group stayed silent, knowing the logic that had just been presented to them. They were doubtful, but he could see that his command would be accepted without question.

"You will set out when the rest of the men are ready. However, I shall take my leave as soon as the sun sets." With that, he went off.

"I heard what you said to your men. So, when will we be going?"

Seifer shook his head at the girl. "You mean when you were _eavesdropping_? We leave at sunset."

"Good," the girl smiled, "the sooner we find my lady in wai- er… the lady!! I meant _the_ lady!! The sooner I, I mean I and _the lady_ can get home. Whooo!"

Seifer stared at the weird girl, not knowing what to make of her optimism.

O

O

O

O

**Some hours later, Seifer had discovered that he didn't need to consider the problem of Selphie's optimism, as it had faded away the longer they were on the road. **

"Are we ever going to stop? I think I need a rest," Selphie grumbled on the horse she was riding. They were traveling on horseback along an uneven trail, in the dark, and the last break they had was three hours ago for dinner. Selphie rolled her eyes at that. Dinner had been a sad affair of **oats and some other kind of unidentifiable cereal**. Apparently, most of the perishables they had packed for the journey had not survived the afternoon skirmish. So it was going to be oats and _cereal_ for every meal.

"You want to save your lady, we ride as fast as possible to the Valleys of Pandora," Seifer explained, not saying more as he concentrated on the path he was leading Selphie on.

"Oh yes, the Pandorian Valleys. Why?" Selphie did not understand what Seifer thought was there, or how being there would help her friend. They were neither near her father's castle nor Kingdom of Esthar. **Now that the rest of her escort had departed for the Shumi village, she had only Commander Seifer for company. **And in Selphie's opinion, this little excursion of theirs was starting to make her doubt her choice of listening to him.

Seifer was bringing them further from their intended destination, Kramer's Isle. Without a real reason.

"Like I've said for the hundredth time you've asked, I think Quistis is with the Pandorian nomads!" Seifer roared, beyond exasperated.

"But the nomads don't have banners, or an insignia. Father told me only houses have those! And he should know! He is the Lord of," Selphie argued, before wincing at her potential slip. No talking about fathers, "of … topography!"

"Well, maybe they've just started! Maybe they found resources to make paint. I don't know, ok! I just feel like it could be them. Let's just go, at least we have a plan to follow," Seifer grumbled, apparently unaware of the girl's slip of the tongue.

Selphie pouted. What if it fails? She wanted to ask, but decided not to just by looking at his stony face. "Ok, fine. Hey! What do you think that beast was?"

Seifer slowed his steed **to draw level with the other horse**, evidently trying to answer Selphie's question. "You know what, I have no idea. I mean, I have my suspicions but it just can't be. Dragons don't exist anymore."

**The last dragon had been killed at the Island of Heaven and Hell, three hundred years ago during the war for independence. Dragons were dangerous. Very, very dangerous. It hadn't been until the number of their charred victims climbed into the hundreds that the King had declared war on them. It had been a last resort, and a costly one. **

**The idea of someone actually **_training_** a dragon... It was impossible. Also frightening.**

**But he had seen what he had seen.**

**Seifer shook his head, remembering the stories he had heard when he was younger. Fairy tales, he had thought. Tales of a magical realm, a realm where dragons and other fearsome creatures lived on, where magic was more than mere myth. Even then he had been too smart to fall for such childish fables. However, considering what he had seen this afternoon...**

Selphie's eyes widened. "So it isn't just me! You think it could be a dragon too huh?"

Seifer nodded. "Come on, I think we've covered enough distance. We'll stop for the night."

"Finally!" **Selphie said happily as Seifer helped her from her horse. She smiled her thanks as he lifted her down**.

"You know, you can be nice when you want to," she told him. She giggled as she saw the faint colouring of his cheeks.

**He was almost adorable...all that messy blond hair and cheeky boyish looks. And how he had looked when he had charged to her rescue - leaping from his steed, fierce as the archangel Michael, avenger of the weak. **Selphie giggled. If he could hear my thoughts, he'd probably die of embarrassment.

"Yeah, well it's not going to be an everyday occurrence."

And the image disappears, Selphie thought, shaking her head as she went off towards the lake she spotted along the way.

"I'm going to wash up!" she called to Seifer as she skipped towards the inviting cool waters at the edge of the clearing.

"Stupid girl can't even offer help setting up camp," Seifer grumbled, even though he had expected as much.

He was happy to do it alone, he preferred to have the hindrance away from him.

O

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	6. Four

**The Witch's Last Festival**

Part Two Four 

"_I want to be a princess and rule the whole land!" the small girl with flipped curls yelled, her voice echoing throughout the land, or at least the valleys below her as she stood on the precipice of the mountain. _

_Turning back, the little girl with flipped curls and a yellow pinafore eyed her friends. They were slightly older than her, but what were a few months in comparison of the wonderful adventures they had together? "Hey, what do you want to be?" she asked her blonde companion and cookie stealer ally. _

"_I want to be queen. Princesses cannot rule. Only queens can!" the other young girl retorted. Unlike her shorter friend, she had sun kissed hair tied up in a neat ponytail. And upon seeing her friend's slight pout at being corrected _and_ told she was not going to get to rule, the blonde girl quickly added, "but we could all rule together! And colour the castle pink, yellow and black!" _

"_I hate black!" the brunette said petulantly to Quistis and before staring at their other companion who had yet to utter a word, the one who needed black castles. _

"_Squall! We can't have black, it'll ruin our pretty castle." The shorter girl cried. _

_Finally, the taciturn boy stood from where he was seated, next to the blonde. "Father said that I will become king one day. That my word will be obeyed, so I will have my castle in black, without yellow at least!" he commented, intent on upsetting the shorter girl further. _

_The blonde haired girl giggled at her two friends, however stopped listening to their debate on castle colours, choosing instead to mull over the fact that if Squall becomes king, then she, Quistis would be queen… _

"Is she awake yet?" The mysterious voice asked what was to be another unknown person in the room.

"No. Not by any means. This girl sleeps like a log," the voice commented, and then laughed deeply, as it reverberated across the room.

Said girl was semi conscious, traveling in between dream land and the waking world, choosing to keep her eyes closed in hopes of listening in on anything important as she realized through her sleep induced haze that she was in trouble. Big trouble.

She heard footsteps coming closer, and tried not to react.

"I know you're awake." The steely voice told her, at what she guessed were a few inches from her face.

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and came face to face with the stranger she had seen kidnap Selphie. Or would have kidnapped Selphie if not for her warning Seifer.

"Good evening," the man called, smiling handsomely with a slight detachedness as he eyed her obvious discontent and discomfort.

Quistis merely narrowed her eyes, staring at him as coldly as he was staring at her. "Where am I?"

He chuckled.

Quistis felt like ripping out that silly mouth as she found her nerves being grated by the sound of his voice.

"Would you believe it if I said you're in the same place but a different dimension?"

Quistis contemplated his words, confused. "Not really. But then you have to excuse me, since I _am_ in the company of savages. Who knows how good at lying _they_ might be."

Her retort was met with yet another laugh. She didn't find it that _funny_.

"My dear girl, we are not the savage ones," he eyed her frostily all the while maintaining his chilly smile "we are all victims of circumstance. Forced into action by what has been done to us."

Upon hearing his words and the mention of 'us' she realized there was another in their company.

A shorter blonde haired boy, who looked too young to be in the company of his _friend_ stood near the exit. Seeing that he was being watched, the young man who kept his body in profile angled himself so that he could stare directly at her, smirking as he did so.

Quistis tried to contain her shock at seeing his painted face, although she should have been accustomed to the red and black paint both man adorned on their bodies. However. instead of covering his entire face in black, his looked like he had deliberately decorated only his left side with a complex design, that seemed faintly like that of a _tail_ of some sort. What was it? Why did it look so familiar?

Before she could answer her own questions, the taller man stood. Dusting off his knees. Quistis glanced up at the man from her resting position on what she believed to be the bed in the surprisingly posh bedroom.

"Zell, I think we should leave our guest. We've answered enough today," the older man called to his lower ranked officer, sarcasm dripping from his every word, "we need to check on the 'army'."

Nodding the blonde haired man stalked out though the gothic door, holding it for the taller man.

"Oh, and do not think about escape. You'd find it to be impossible." The man called out to her as he closed the heavy elaborate bronzed double door with the intricately designed gold handles, leaving her alone and free to wander about the confines of her new room.

She tried the doors, despite the man's warning. Much to her dismay, he wasn't lying about it being locked. However, she could not locate the lock on her side of the door. Odd.

Next she traveled towards the red curtains she had observed while conversing with the two men.

Moving towards it, she grabbed hold of the curtain tail and drew back the rich velvet red curtains that puddled to the floor.

Quistis gasped, realizing why the curtains had remained covered. Whether if it was for her sake or theirs, she guessed it was both.

The outside of the city was in flames.

Quistis could only describe it as a gargantuan conflagration across the land, ever encompassing and furious. The fires threatened to lick even the skies above the city walls, having already likened itself with the concrete parapet and everything outside of it. Including the once tall pine trees and the sturdy lookout towers that would have withstood any adversity apart from the inferno inflicted on it.

Heavy clouds of black soot and ash enveloped the entire land, encasing all into its sinister embrace, allowing for nothing beyond a fifty-mile radius from Quistis' vantage point to be distinguished. What made her even more alarmed were the winged creatures gliding along the black smoke trails.

_Dragons_.

The conclusion was so abrupt that Quistis herself had to double-check her computation. However, the metallic glitter of what looked to be scales and the solid, fleshy, _large_ wings on the back of the gliding giants were evidence enough that her first assessment was more than acute.

The fire spewing out from the mouths of the flying fleet was telling also.

Quistis yelped as she saw one flying straight towards the tower nearest to the city blockage, exhaling a ball of flame from the recesses of its vicious lungs. However, the wreckage she expected did not come. The fire made contact with a sort of invisible shield only to be reflected back.

_What the devil?!_ Quistis was beyond confused. And a tad bit curious. _So, this city is not without protection_. She guessed there must be a sort of force shield protecting the inner city; however how it was manufactured was a mystery.

_Magic_?


	7. Four point Two

FOUR point TWO 

It was twenty minutes since Seifer made up the tent. Singular. He did not want to carry too much weight between the two of them, incase it delayed their journey towards the valley.

Where is that girl? He thought. Sighing, he went off to look for Selphie.

The path was straightforward and Seifer rather enjoyed the cool night air. The quietness of the forest gave him time to think of the day's occurrences. It was on nights like this that Seifer allowed himself that bit of time to mourn his friends and ponder on what he should do next.

Mercer and Henry were one of his fiercest friends. They would die for him. And they have. They died for his stupidity.

His stupidity for thinking about a girl, a _lady_, when what he should really have been doing was pay attention to his surroundings. Now, he had hell to pay.

Quistis was currently at the mercy of an enemy he neither knew nor could find. He doubted it was the Pandorians, but that was the best he could think of. They lived fairly near their course, and they did not like King Loire's reign.

However, Seifer did realize that unless the Pandorians were sons of Merlin, it was not feasible for them to disappear into thin air, riding dragons! Magic and sorcery, Seifer frowned again as that _M_ was thought of again. It was highly disturbing that specific word would come up for a second time. But how else was he supposed to reason what he had seen, if not magic then what?

A trickery of light?

Seifer hoped that she was with the Pandorians though, for Quistis' sake, so that he could rescue her without wasting too much precious time. His mission stated it was imperative for him to guide both Quistis and her lady-in-waiting back to Lord Kramer's as soon as possible.

And He felt almost guilty that he had saved her friend at the expense of saving her. He just hoped she was all right.

Hold on, Quistis. We'll come for you. I promise.

Seifer smiled as he remembered Quistis' small beam as she recounted a tale to him earlier that morning about how Selphie had decided to get a pet dog, only to run away crying when she first saw it.

He laughed as he imagined how very fitting it was for a petite girl to be scared of a tiny thing like a puppy. As he traveled further along the path, he heard the girl in question singing by the lake.

He allowed another small smile to play across his lips as he heard the song she was singing in her soprano voice.

Hiding amongst the trees, he listened to the song she sang about knights and nightingales. Happy to hear and seek comfort from the serene tune at the end of a hard day.

'_And on this bed there lyeth a knight  
His wound is bleeding day and night  
By his bedside kneeleth a maid  
And she weepeth both night and day'_

"_Corpus Christi written thereon_…" Selphie sang the last notes of the song as she dried her wet hair. She was still unwinding in the cool water, washing away the dirt and grime from the afternoon when she heard the snap of twigs. She stilled and looked around for her dress.

Finding it at the same spot she left it, on a rock formation a few feet from the lake, she hurriedly put it on.

She expected footsteps, _Seifer's_, but no sound was heard.

"Seifer?" she called out uncertainly. Surely he would not play a joke at a time like this. He did not seem the sort who likes to jest, Selphie thought to herself as she looked around the tranquil lake. Trees shrouded her vision and the stillness of the night did nothing but unsettle her already fragile nerves.

It was only until she turned to start back on her path towards camp that she saw the emerging black of a rather large figure upon her. It took less than a second before her voice rang out, shrill and urgent.

Seifer was startled out of his short nap against the Sycamore tree by the sound of Selphie's desperate cry. Uttering a curse at the foolish girl for being scared of the impending dark, he stumbled about, trying to get his bearings.

It was not as he had imagined, Seifer realized, as he looked witnessed the slip of a girl and the larger silhouette struggle.

"Selphie!" He called out, adrenalin and sword at the ready. The pair did not stop and feeling a sudden rage overcome him at the brute for manhandling a girl, he decided to hold nothing back. However it was not to be as he felt the ground give way and his consciousness slipping into oblivion, with only the frightened gasp of Selphie's to guide him into his black abyss…


End file.
